Shubham Sawarkar
Twitter on July 21 announced a new restriction that will limit the number of direct messages (DMs) unverified accounts can send per day. This move comes hot on the heels of the company’s recent introduction of message settings, designed to streamline DMs and reduce spam. However, some critics argue that the move could be seen as yet another push toward getting users to subscribe to Twitter’s premium Blue membership. With ongoing financial challenges, Twitter is striving to find new ways to generate revenue, and these limitations may offer a solution.
As the popularity of social media platforms grows, so too does the problem of spam messages. Twitter, like its counterparts, has been grappling with an increase in unsolicited messages that inundate users’ DMs. To address this issue, the platform introduced a significant change on July 14th, segregating DMs from accounts users follow into their primary inbox, while DMs from verified users they don’t follow now land in their message request inbox. This alteration resulted in a commendable 70 percent reduction in spam messages within a week.
Building on the success of this change, Twitter is set to introduce a new rule targeting unverified accounts. Unverified users will soon be restricted in the number of DMs they can send per day. The intent behind this move is clear – to curb spam from unverified accounts and maintain a cleaner and more enjoyable DM experience for users.
While Twitter justifies this new limitation as part of its ongoing battle against spam, skeptics believe it serves a dual purpose. By restricting the messaging capabilities of unverified users, Twitter appears to encourage them to consider upgrading to the Blue subscription. The company’s announcement about the change openly encourages users to “subscribe today to send more messages,” subtly hinting that paying for the premium membership unlocks additional DM privileges.
This latest move coincides with recent remarks made by Elon Musk, who tweeted about Twitter’s financial struggles. The company reportedly faced a significant drop in advertising revenue, resulting in negative cash flow. In response, Twitter is seeking alternative revenue streams, and its focus on promoting the Blue subscription may be an integral part of this strategy. While the income generated from subscriptions might not single-handedly bridge the financial gap, every dollar counts, and it could provide a much-needed boost to the company’s bottom line.
